Stephen Beus Plays Griffes & Scriabin

American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes' many-hued impressionism and Alexander Scriabin's lyricism (e.g., Sonata No. 6 and the Fantasy Op. 28) blend beautifully in this entrancing program by the winner of the 2006 competition of the American Pianists Association.

"His playing is strikingly original and ... he has an interpretive voice all his own. While his technical gifts are formidable, he couldn't be described as a flashy player—his interpretations tend more toward the reflective than the extrovert. He manages even the densest textures with utmost clarity. Above all, his playing is so natural as to seem effortless and the sound he produces has extraordinary richness and depth.... Griffes's most famous piano piece, 'The White Peacock' from Roman Sketches is treated with a hypersensitive sensuality and subtly graded nuance, bearing comparison with the famous reading of Dame Myra Hess. Of the other miniatures recorded here, 'The Night Winds' from Three Tone-Pictures…[are] nothing short of exquisite."—Fanfare